There's something about paeonies that makes them very difficult to photograph well. I think it's to do with the glossy surface layer of the petals and the way that light bounces around inside that layer as well as being reflected off it.
This time last year I attempted to get photographs while the paeony in my front garden was in flower. I failed abysmally, as I got red flares off the petals whatever I tried. I was somewhat mollified when the TV coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show, around the same time, had images of paeonies in the gardens there, all showing the red flares that I'd struggled with. If the professionals with their expensive and sophisticated cameras were struggling, then perhaps my efforts weren't so bad after all!
The first flower is now out in my garden this year, so I've tried again. This time they are slightly better - photographed late in the afternoon under cloud cover. These two are almost presentable. They were fairly quickly done, hand-held, on my little Sony compact, so they encourage me to get out the big camera and the tripod and try again over the next couple of weeks as more flowers come out.
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